Vlad Duric to be Antino’s new jockey; Skirt The Law found to have jarred up

Victorian jockey Mark Zahra had initially been slated to ride Antino but a careless riding suspension at Morphettville last Saturday means Gollan has now booked Duric for the ride on Antino in Saturday’s Group 2 Victory Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm.

The Victory Stakes is the winter carnival pipe-opener for the elite sprint races ahead in coming weeks.

Brisbane-based Duric, a Caulfield Cup winner, has been in fine form since returning to Australia from Singapore and has impressed Gollan, with whom he has had a long association.

Leading Brisbane jockey Jimmy Orman was once Antino’s regular rider but in more recent times the exciting galloper has been ridden by Blake Shinn and Sam Clipperton when on southern missions.

• Richard Callander: Blame game in full swing on the Gold Coast

Antino, who finished a narrow runner-up in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap at Caulfield last spring, will be one of a trio of Gollan runners in the Victory with the others being evergreen sprinter Baller and the progressive Comrade Rosa.

Meanwhile, Gollan has given an update on former Gold Coast Magic Millions winner Skirt The Law after the filly failed to let down at Eagle Farm last Saturday, finishing ninth in the Mick Dittman Plate after starting the $3.60 favourite.

Gollan pulled the pin on a summer campaign for Skirt The Law in November when she was found to have suffered bone chips in her knee as a result of rock hard tracks in Victoria during the spring.

But she was beaten more than 5½ lengths when she resumed last Saturday.

• WATCH: Alligator Blood recovers amid Pride of Jenni debate

“We think she has sustained possible jarring, there is no injury as such and she is not lame,” Gollan said.

“All we can get back from the vets is she is stiff and she has got jarring.

“We will just try to maintain her a bit and see if we can continue her campaign.

“We will go back to the trials with her and then maybe we will race her a month between runs.”

Originally published as Vlad Duric to be Antino’s new jockey; Skirt The Law found to have jarred up